329 - LE ROUGE, Georges-Louis.

LE ROUGE, Georges-Louis. The Anglo-Chinese Gardens, or A Detailed Account of the New Gardens in Fashion. Cahiers des Jardins Anglo-Chinois. Paris, Connaissance et Mémoires, BnF, 2004. Large folio. In the publisher’s red cloth slipcase, title on the front cover. Bibliography: Berlin Cat., 1613. Ganay, 99: “Extremely rare to find complete, even in public libraries,” (for the original). Description: A luxurious and monumental reprint of the original work, published between 1776 and 1788, by Georges-Louis Le Rouge (ca. 1712–1790), cartographer and engraver, geographer to the King, and author of atlases and albums whose work contributed to the spread of new garden styles throughout Europe. Reproduction of the 21 volumes containing hundreds of full-page black-and-white engravings on the art of 18th-century landscape gardening. More than 400 full-page plates and several fold-outs, printed on laid paper. A fine copy. The first comprehensive Western illustration of the aesthetics of Anglo-Chinese gardens in France, England, and Germany during the 18th century. “This collection of places makes Le Rouge’s compilation a unique and exceptional work that reflects, on the one hand, the social and cultural dimension of the phenomenon known as ‘jardinomania’ and, on the other hand, the heterotopic, pacifist, and universal dimension inherent in gardens of any era.”